Man charged in Santa Maria courthouse bombing
A Santa Maria man was charged by federal prosecutors on Sept. 26 with allegedly bombing the Santa Maria Superior Courthouse on Sept. 25, injuring at least five people.
Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, who was arrested the day of the bombing, is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.
If convicted, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars.
According to an affidavit filed by the Department of Justice with the criminal complaint, McGuire on Sept. 25 allegedly entered the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in Santa Maria, throwing a bag into the lobby.
The bag explode, injuring at least five people.
McGuire fled on foot but was apprehended a short time later by law enforcement as he was trying to get into a red Ford Mustang parked outside the courthouse, according to prosecutors.
“McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel,” the affidavit said.
Inside the car was ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks, according to the affidavit.
A search of the vehicle further yielded a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe.
A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material, according to the affidavit.
“This defendant’s alleged misconduct was chilling,” Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District, said in a press release.
“Not only did he injure five people and traumatize many more, but he possessed a cache of weapons that would have allowed him to wreak even greater destruction had he not been stopped,” Estrada said.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said that despite the “shocking and unprecedented crime in our county, the security of the Santa Maria courthouse was maintained.”
McGuire was quickly apprehended by a court security officer, a sheriff’s deputy, two California Highway Patrol officers, and a district attorney’s investigator, Brown said.
“We are proud of their resolute actions that almost certainly prevented further violence,” he said.
The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the case.
